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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — the time now
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. present — there
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. roll — a list
  11. rash — hasty
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. roll — a cake
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — letters
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — a gift
  19. rash — a series
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. spell — magic
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fan — to cool the air

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