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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. firm — a company
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. firm — steady
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. firm — decided
  24. fork — in a road

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