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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rock — music
  4. firm — a company
  5. tube — the underground
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. firm — steady
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. toast — bread
  14. can — a tin
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. firm — decided
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tube — a container

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