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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — help
  6. race — humankind
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. game — wild animals
  15. race — a contest
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — music
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. game — a match
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — in cards
  24. can — to be able to

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