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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. swing — music
  3. rule — a law
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — there
  6. swing — to play on
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rule — government
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mark — a trace
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. key — in music
  17. cap — of ice
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — a gift
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — the time now
  22. cap — a hat
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mark — a grade

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