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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. face — part of the head
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. face — to point toward
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rest — a break
  12. track — a song
  13. club — for golf
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a music group
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. band — a ring
  20. face — to confront
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. track — a path

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