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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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. prune — to trim
  4. cap — a hat
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chip — for betting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — for sport
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. court — of law
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. root — the cause
  22. court — of a king
  23. can — a tin
  24. cap — of ice

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