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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ball — a dance
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — shares
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — goods
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — to roll

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