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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — a song
  5. can — to be able to
  6. track — a path
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cue — a hint
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cue — a signal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. deal — to handle
  21. track — to keep track
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cue — for pool

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