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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. board — to get on
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. can — to be able to
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. board — a committee
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — a face
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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