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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. can — a tin
  3. band — a music group
  4. kick — in football
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. can — to be able to
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. band — a ring
  17. bear — the animal
  18. roll — a list
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pop — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. kick — a thrill

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