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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fine — all right
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rock — music
  18. bat — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rock — a stone

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