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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cue — a signal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. net — for catching
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. net — after costs
  23. can — to be able to
  24. net — in sport

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