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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — army training
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — of a river
  15. press — newspapers
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. file — a line of people
  18. can — to be able to
  19. file — a tool
  20. press — a publisher
  21. drill — a practice
  22. file — a document
  23. craft — boats
  24. press — to push

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