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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — a tin
  4. foot — a measure
  5. land — a country
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. mark — a trace
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. land — ground
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — the sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — to be able to
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hand — in cards
  24. squash — to crush

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