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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — a position
  4. spring — the season
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ball — a dance
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ball — a great time
  10. clip — a video
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. suit — in cards
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. spring — of water
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. clip — to cut
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. ground — the earth
  20. suit — to fit
  21. toast — bread
  22. spring — a coil
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. clip — for paper

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