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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. tube — a container
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. dip — to sink
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. roll — a list
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. net — for catching
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pop — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a dance
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. pop — soda
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. can — to be able to

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