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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lean — thin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mug — a face
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fork — in a road
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lean — to bend

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