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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. band — a music group
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. band — a ring
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. can — to be able to
  10. season — in sport
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. hand — help
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. season — of the year
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bowl — a dish
  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