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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. bowl — to roll
  3. file — a tool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mark — a trace
  7. file — a line of people
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spell — magic
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mug — a face
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spell — letters
  19. mug — a cup
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. sharp — clever
  23. file — a document
  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