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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. capital — money
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. dip — to sink
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — a thing
  9. capital — a city
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rock — music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. can — a tin
  20. bat — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. scale — size or range
  24. capital — a big letter

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