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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 120 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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. root — of a plant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pop — soda
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. net — in sport
  7. rash — a series
  8. net — for catching
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pop — music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. net — after costs
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. can — to be able to
  20. root — the cause
  21. pop — to visit
  22. root — of a word
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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