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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stock — goods
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. court — of law
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. stock — shares
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pound — a weight
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. court — of a king
  22. vault — a safe
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. court — for sport

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