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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. present — a gift
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mug — a face
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — to eat
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. present — the time now
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mug — a cup
  17. scale — in music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. present — there
  24. mug — to rob

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