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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pop — soda
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fine — all right
  7. pop — to visit
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — music
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spell — magic
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bass — low music
  22. spell — letters
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fine — a penalty

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