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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. degree — from a university
  6. tube — a container
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bulb — for light
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. degree — an amount
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bulb — of a plant

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