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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. current — electric
  3. pop — to visit
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. field — farmland
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rest — a break
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. field — a subject
  10. ball — a great time
  11. current — happening now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — for sport
  14. pop — soda
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. current — of water
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — music
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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