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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. band — a ring
  3. can — to be able to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. band — a music group
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. club — for dancing
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. swing — music
  17. club — for golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. club — a group
  22. toast — bread
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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