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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: can · roll · dip · rest · bowl · land · jam · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. can — a tin
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rest — a break
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. land — to come down
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. roll — a list
  14. land — a country
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. roll — a cake
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rest — what's left
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. land — ground

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