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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. can — a tin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ball — a dance
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. race — a contest
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bowl — a football final

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