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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — goods
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. craft — a skill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. craft — boats
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cue — a signal

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