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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chip — for betting
  14. row — a line
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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