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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kick — in football
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. fork — in a road
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. can — a tin
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. dip — to sink
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. march — the month
  24. land — ground

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