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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — of a word
  4. ball — a dance
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chip — for betting
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. file — a tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. file — a document
  18. rule — a law
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. root — the cause

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