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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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. mark — a grade
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. drill — army training
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — a practice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bear — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. drill — the tool

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