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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. land — to come down
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. toast — bread
  15. pitch — completely
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. land — a country
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bowl — to roll

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