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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — to eat
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — for betting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — a group
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fall — the season
  15. club — for golf
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cabinet — ministers

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