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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — a contest
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chip — to eat
  8. race — humankind
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mug — a face
  24. race — the arms race

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