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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. last — finally
  5. fine — all right
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bound — certain
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — to be able to
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bound — obliged
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. field — a subject
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fine — high quality
  17. field — for sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. last — to go on
  20. band — a music group
  21. last — final
  22. band — a ring
  23. field — farmland
  24. sharp — clever

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