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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. spring — of water
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — the season
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. branch — a division

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