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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. can — to be able to
  4. object — to protest
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. object — an aim
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mine — for digging
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kid — child
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. object — a thing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. scale — in music

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