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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. game — a match
  12. kid — child
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. game — wild animals
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. foot — a measure
  23. squash — the sport
  24. kid — to tease

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