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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. object — to protest
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — a container
  11. pop — to visit
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. rash — a series
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ball — a great time
  18. object — a thing
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pop — soda
  21. object — an aim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bowl — to roll

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