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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. can — a tin
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pop — music
  7. roll — a list
  8. rash — hasty
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bound — certain
  11. mate — to breed
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. roll — a cake
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bound — obliged
  16. foot — a measure
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rash — a series
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bound — tied together

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