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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — in music
  5. field — farmland
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. key — the most important part
  8. field — a subject
  9. pop — to visit
  10. field — for sport
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — to be able to
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pop — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pop — soda
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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