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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — a container
  4. stem — to come from
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. tube — the underground
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  24. bulb — for light

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