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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. kid — to tease
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pound — a weight
  18. kid — child
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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