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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rash — a series
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fork — a garden tool

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