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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — a country
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. march — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. roll — a cake
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — the month
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. roll — a list
  17. land — to come down
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. land — ground
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pitch — completely

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