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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.

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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — a tin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bound — tied together
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fork — in a road
  12. club — for golf
  13. can — to be able to
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bound — certain
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group

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