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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. swing — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lean — thin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. scale — in music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bowl — a football final

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