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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pop — music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. can — a tin
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chip — for betting
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. clip — to cut
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. clip — a video
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — in a road

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