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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a music group
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rest — what's left
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a ring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. kid — child
  18. rest — a break
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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