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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. track — a song
  3. last — final
  4. track — to keep track
  5. season — of the year
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. season — in sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cue — a hint
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. last — finally
  14. present — there
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. present — the time now
  20. track — a path
  21. can — to be able to
  22. present — a gift
  23. last — to go on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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