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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mug — a cup
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fork — in a road
  12. can — a tin
  13. mug — a face
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cap — a hat
  17. can — to be able to
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fork — to eat with

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