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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. can — to be able to
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. net — for catching
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fork — in a road
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — a stone
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rock — music

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