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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pop — soda
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pop — music
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — a trail
  17. game — a match
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lean — thin
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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