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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — a position
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of law
  6. charge — a price
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — from crying
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. court — for sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — in music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. tear — to rip
  23. court — of a king
  24. tear — from crying

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