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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — happy
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. club — a group
  13. cap — a hat
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cap — a lid
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. club — for golf
  20. content — the amount
  21. spell — magic
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spell — letters
  24. club — for dancing

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