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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. band — a music group
  5. roll — a cake
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chip — for betting
  11. band — a ring
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. roll — a list
  24. bowl — a dish

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