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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. current — happening now
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pop — soda
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pop — music
  17. current — electric
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. current — of water
  24. ruler — for measuring

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