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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spell — a short time
  4. file — a document
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spell — magic
  10. file — a line of people
  11. can — a tin
  12. club — for golf
  13. squash — the sport
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — to crush
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. file — a tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. squash — the vegetable

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