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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. rock — a stone
  5. field — a subject
  6. can — a tin
  7. bore — to tire
  8. field — for sport
  9. can — to be able to
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rock — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. game — a match
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. net — for catching
  22. suit — in cards
  23. field — farmland
  24. game — wild animals

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