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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. band — a music group
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. hand — help
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. band — a ring

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