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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. toast — bread
  3. rock — music
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fine — all right
  8. scale — size or range
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rock — a stone
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. roll — a list
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. scale — in music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. branch — a division

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