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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. kick — in football
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. shower — to wash
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bass — low music
  9. track — a song
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. suit — clothes
  12. track — to keep track
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. suit — to fit
  15. track — a path
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. sharp — clever
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. shower — rain
  24. kick — a thrill

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