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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — hurry
  11. present — there
  12. drill — a practice
  13. court — of law
  14. present — a gift
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. court — for sport
  17. present — the time now
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. can — a tin
  22. pound — a weight
  23. court — of a king
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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