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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tube — the underground
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. tube — a container
  5. squash — to crush
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. scale — in music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. scale — size or range
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. deal — to handle

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