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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lean — thin
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chip — for betting
  20. key — in music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bound — certain
  24. bowl — a football final

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