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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 124 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. race — humankind
  3. can — a tin
  4. race — the arms race
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. present — there
  9. ground — a position
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — the time now
  12. can — a tin
  13. present — a gift
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ground — the earth
  19. race — a contest
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — music
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ground — crushed
  24. calf — of the leg

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