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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — clever
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — a line
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bass — low music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. can — to be able to

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