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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. land — to come down
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. land — a country
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tube — a container
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. prune — to trim
  22. land — ground
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. tube — the underground

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