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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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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: plane · bore · can · court · wake · chip · bowl · roll

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. roll — a list
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. roll — a cake
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. can — to be able to
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bore — to drill
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. court — of law

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