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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. shower — rain
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chip — to eat
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. plane — a tool
  15. club — a group
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chip — for betting
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. club — for golf
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bowl — a football final

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