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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · board · bowl · rock · march · arm · pop · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. march — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pop — music
  12. board — a committee
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rock — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — letters
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. march — the month
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. march — the month

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