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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. present — the time now
  3. cap — a hat
  4. row — to paddle
  5. object — an aim
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rest — a break
  9. stock — shares
  10. can — a tin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — a gift
  13. object — to protest
  14. row — a line
  15. present — there
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rest — what's left
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. object — a thing
  21. stock — goods
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mate — a partner

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