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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — a tin
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. can — to be able to
  6. net — after costs
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — for catching
  11. drill — a practice
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. net — in sport
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. drill — army training
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. drill — the tool
  22. snap — to click
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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