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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kid — child
  6. mate — a friend
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fall — the season
  12. rock — music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chip — for betting
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — to drop

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