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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. can — a tin
  5. last — finally
  6. bank — of a river
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pitch — completely
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bank — for money

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