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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tube — a container
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chair — a leader
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — soda
  14. can — to be able to
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pop — music
  18. drill — army training
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — to visit
  22. tube — the underground
  23. foot — a measure
  24. nail — on a finger

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