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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. swing — to play on
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bark — to shout
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. swing — music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chip — to eat
  18. charge — in control
  19. fine — all right
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. charge — a price
  23. lie — to recline
  24. swing — in golf

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