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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. board — to get on
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. board — a committee
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mate — a partner
  16. can — a tin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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