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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. firm — decided
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — a tin
  14. firm — steady
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. scale — size or range
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. firm — a company
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. scale — in music

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