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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bore — to tire
  6. hand — in cards
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. squash — the sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — to come down
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. foot — a measure
  14. land — ground
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. land — a country
  20. hand — help
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — to drill

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