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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. can — a tin
  7. rule — a law
  8. fall — the season
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. craft — boats
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rule — government
  20. land — ground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. game — wild animals

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