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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. game — a match
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. can — a tin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bat — the animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mate — a friend
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mate — to breed
  21. game — wild animals
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mate — a partner

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