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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitch — completely
  24. tube — the underground

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