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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. land — a country
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. can — a tin
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chip — for betting
  20. land — to come down
  21. can — a tin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bat — the animal

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