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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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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chair — a leader
  12. date — the fruit
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a dance
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. present — the time now
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chair — a professorship

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