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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. field — farmland
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. file — a line of people
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rash — hasty
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. file — a tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. file — a document
  24. rash — a series

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