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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — help
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. can — a tin
  7. bore — to tire
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rock — a stone
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bore — to drill
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. roll — a cake
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. roll — a list
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rock — music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bore — gave birth

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