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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. game — a match
  7. charge — a price
  8. mine — for digging
  9. can — a tin
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. charge — in control
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. season — in sport
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — an aim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. charge — electricity
  20. season — of the year
  21. can — to be able to
  22. object — a thing
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. prune — to trim

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