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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — in sport
  3. charge — in control
  4. cue — for pool
  5. net — after costs
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cue — a signal
  8. charge — a price
  9. root — of a word
  10. foot — a measure
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — the cause
  14. perch — the fish
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. net — for catching
  17. plane — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. can — to be able to
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cue — a hint

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