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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. land — a country
  4. track — to keep track
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. land — ground
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — a path
  11. toast — bread
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. can — a tin
  16. land — to come down
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. track — a song

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