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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pound — a weight
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. drill — army training
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ground — a position
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — for dogs

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