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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — for catching
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — in music
  5. band — a ring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. band — a music group
  9. dip — to sink
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. net — in sport
  13. can — to be able to
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chip — for betting
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. key — the most important part
  22. net — after costs
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. patient — a sick person

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