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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pop — soda
  5. chest — of your body
  6. can — a tin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chest — a box
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. net — in sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pop — music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pop — to visit
  20. net — for catching
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. net — after costs
  24. calf — a young animal

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