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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — soda
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. spell — a short time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spell — magic
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com