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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. content — happy
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. prune — to trim
  17. deal — to handle
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chip — to eat
  22. can — a tin
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chip — for betting

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