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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pop — soda
  10. drill — army training
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — a practice
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — the sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stock — goods
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stock — shares
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pop — music
  24. squash — to crush

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