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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. date — the fruit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — a match
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a ring
  14. staff — employees
  15. band — a music group
  16. craft — a skill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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