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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · dip · land · bowl · mug · chip · shower · tube

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mug — a face
  11. shower — rain
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chip — to eat
  21. shower — to wash
  22. land — ground
  23. chip — for betting
  24. dip — a sauce

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