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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. scale — in music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. shower — to wash
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — to be able to
  9. shower — rain
  10. firm — steady
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — high quality
  13. prune — to trim
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fine — all right
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. firm — a company
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. tube — a container
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — a tin
  24. calf — a young animal

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