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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: land · bowl · dip · mouse · arm · fan · pop · roll

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. roll — a list
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pop — to visit
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — music
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. land — a country
  23. pop — soda
  24. roll — on a 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