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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — in sport
  6. can — to be able to
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. last — final
  9. pop — to visit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pound — a weight
  13. net — after costs
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. last — finally
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. tube — a container
  19. pop — music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. net — for catching
  23. pop — soda
  24. tube — the underground

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