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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. saw — the tool
  3. track — a song
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. track — to keep track
  7. perch — the fish
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. cue — for pool
  14. can — a tin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. track — a path
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cue — a hint

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