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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. court — of a king
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tear — from crying
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — a song
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. track — a path

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