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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 120 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: foot · bark · can · safe · bowl · prune · ground · chip

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ground — crushed
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. foot — part of the body

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