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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — to wash
  9. land — ground
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. shower — rain
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rock — a stone
  14. land — a country
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. scale — size or range
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. land — to come down
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. scale — in music

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