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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. staff — a stick
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. object — an aim
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. firm — steady
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — a subject
  18. firm — a company
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — decided
  23. bore — to drill
  24. racket — for tennis

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