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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. current — electric
  4. capital — money
  5. rule — government
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — happening now
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. rule — a law
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. current — of water
  24. scale — in music

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