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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — to visit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. suit — clothes
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. swing — music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. board — a committee
  17. pop — soda
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pop — music
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — to get on
  23. wake — a trail
  24. can — a tin

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