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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — in sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. net — for catching
  5. ground — a position
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ground — the earth
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rash — a series
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. net — after costs
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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