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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. firm — decided
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. firm — a company
  10. ground — the earth
  11. firm — steady
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. squash — the sport

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