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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cue — a signal
  6. present — a gift
  7. stock — goods
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cap — a hat
  11. present — the time now
  12. stock — shares
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cap — a lid
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. present — there
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bat — for baseball

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