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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pop — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. band — a ring
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. game — wild animals
  9. can — to be able to
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — a match
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — a stick
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. key — for a lock
  21. staff — employees
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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