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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. ball — a dance
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a music group
  6. fine — high quality
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. pop — soda
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fine — all right
  12. kick — in football
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. can — to be able to
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. track — a path
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pop — music
  20. band — a ring
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pop — to visit
  24. saw — the tool

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