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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. file — a document
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. file — a tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — of law
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. file — a line of people
  17. court — of a king
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pop — music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. court — for sport

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