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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rash — a series
  3. current — electric
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — in football
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. can — to be able to
  16. current — of water
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. nail — for a hammer

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