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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. deal — to handle
  3. charge — in control
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. field — farmland
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tube — a container
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. field — a subject
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. field — for sport
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. tube — in a tire

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