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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. field — farmland
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. field — a subject
  6. can — to be able to
  7. object — an aim
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. field — for sport
  13. chest — a box
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. object — to protest
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rock — music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. chest — of your body
  21. can — a tin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. object — a thing

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