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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — rain
  4. chip — for betting
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. shower — to wash
  14. tube — a container
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stock — shares
  17. saw — the tool
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stock — goods
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tube — the underground
  24. chip — in a computer

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