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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. net — after costs
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. prune — to trim
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. net — for catching
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. roll — a list
  23. net — in sport
  24. fork — in a road

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