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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ball — a great time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rush — hurry
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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