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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. game — wild animals
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wax — to grow
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — a tin
  11. mug — a cup
  12. net — in sport
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. bear — the animal
  19. game — a match
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mug — a face
  24. can — to be able to

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