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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — a price
  4. track — to keep track
  5. charge — in control
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. court — of law
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — a path
  18. rush — hurry
  19. track — a song
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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