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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — to be able to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. can — a tin
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. squash — the sport
  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