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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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. can — a tin
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chair — a leader
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. date — the fruit

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