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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cue — for pool
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. spring — a coil
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bass — the fish
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. branch — a division

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