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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. can — a tin
  7. last — to go on
  8. chip — for betting
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stock — shares
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. last — finally
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stock — goods
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — 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