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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rule — a law
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. toast — bread
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rule — government
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cabinet — ministers

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