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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — all right
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fine — high quality
  14. foot — a measure
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mug — a face
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. can — to be able to
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chip — in a computer

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