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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. chip — to eat
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chip — for betting
  10. perch — the fish
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. foot — a measure
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. dip — to sink
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stem — to come from
  23. foot — part of the body
  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