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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chip — for betting
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — all right
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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