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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — shares
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stock — goods
  14. cell — in biology
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — boats
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. foot — a measure

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