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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. perch — the fish
  5. club — a group
  6. track — a song
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. sharp — clever
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. club — for dancing
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. club — for golf

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