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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ground — crushed
  4. can — to be able to
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — for golf
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — a tin
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ground — a position
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spell — letters
  20. club — a group
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spell — magic
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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