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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. can — a tin
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fan — a supporter

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