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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stock — shares
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pop — soda
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stock — goods
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pop — music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. squash — the sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. object — to protest
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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