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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. root — of a word
  6. prune — to trim
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. root — the cause
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. root — of a plant
  13. content — the amount
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. squash — the sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. content — happy

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