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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. object — to protest
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mark — a grade
  6. object — a thing
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bat — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. club — a group
  13. mark — a trace
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. march — music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. object — an aim
  22. march — the month
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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