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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
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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: can · chip · board · bear · tear · cap · bowl · mine

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — to get on
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — for betting
  7. board — a committee
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cap — a lid
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mine — for digging
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — of ice
  24. can — to be able to

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