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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. court — of law
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. foot — a measure
  12. chest — of your body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. drill — a practice
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chest — a box
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. court — for sport
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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