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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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. pit — in a race
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. track — to keep track
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — a path
  9. pit — a hole
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. band — a music group
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. tube — a container
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. track — a song
  19. band — a ring
  20. tube — the underground
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. tube — in a tire

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