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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. present — the time now
  3. fall — the season
  4. hand — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. club — a group
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. present — a gift
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. hand — help
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pop — soda
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. present — there
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pop — music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. club — for golf

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