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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chip — to eat
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. squash — to crush
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. squash — the sport
  21. shower — rain
  22. chip — for betting
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bowl — a football final

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