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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. can — a tin
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. last — finally
  6. squash — to crush
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — a price
  12. last — to go on
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — the sport
  21. degree — temperature
  22. charge — electricity
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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