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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a document
  4. land — a country
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wake — a trail
  7. row — a line
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. land — to come down
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. land — ground
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. file — a tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — to be able to
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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