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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. degree — an amount
  3. mug — to rob
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. fork — in a road
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. degree — from a university
  14. date — the fruit
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mug — a face
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. row — to paddle
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bank — for money
  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