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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pop — to visit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — bread
  6. chip — for betting
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pop — soda
  13. key — in music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lie — to recline
  16. saw — the tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pop — music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. key — the most important part

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