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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. can — a tin
  5. degree — from a university
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lean — thin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to bend
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — low music

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