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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — a hint
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. content — the amount
  9. cue — a signal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cue — for pool
  12. file — a document
  13. bank — of a river
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. file — a tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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