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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bore — to tire
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stock — shares
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spell — magic
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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