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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. degree — temperature
  20. row — a line
  21. degree — from a university
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bowl — a dish

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