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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: ruler · bear · bowl · roll · jam · chip · saw · mine

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. roll — a list
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. saw — the tool

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