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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a ring
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rest — a break
  15. pass — a permit
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to click
  18. can — to be able to
  19. band — a music group
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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