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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. firm — steady
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — a series
  6. ball — a dance
  7. scale — in music
  8. firm — decided
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rash — hasty
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. staff — employees
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. staff — a stick
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — a company
  23. ball — a great time
  24. roll — a list

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