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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mug — a face
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. content — the amount
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bat — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mug — a cup
  12. file — a tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. can — to be able to
  15. file — a document
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. content — happy
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. staff — employees

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