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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. dip — to sink
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. drill — a practice
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. game — wild animals
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cell — a phone
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. drill — the tool
  17. game — a match
  18. drill — army training
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cell — in biology
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. deal — to handle
  23. craft — boats
  24. dip — to dunk

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