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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ground — a position
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mate — a partner
  24. can — a tin

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