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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. land — ground
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — to come down
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. tube — the underground
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — a country
  11. field — a subject
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. toast — bread
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. field — farmland
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. field — for sport
  23. tube — a container
  24. toast — the most admired

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