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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. tube — the underground
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. object — a thing
  12. tube — a container
  13. shower — rain
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — a series
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pit — a hole
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rash — hasty
  24. object — an aim

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