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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — after costs
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rest — a break
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. net — for catching
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. net — in sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. can — a tin
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rest — what's left
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pop — music

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