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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rest — a break
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rest — what's left

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