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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. root — the cause
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pit — in a race
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a word
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — to be able to
  15. vault — a safe
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. deal — an agreement

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