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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wake — a trail
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. club — for golf
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — the most important part
  19. club — a group
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. racket — for tennis

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