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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. can — a tin
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. capital — a city
  19. plane — a tool
  20. capital — money
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. can — a tin

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