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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. charge — in control
  3. file — a document
  4. last — finally
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. file — a line of people
  9. perch — the fish
  10. field — for sport
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. charge — a price
  13. field — farmland
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pound — a weight
  18. last — to go on
  19. field — a subject
  20. last — final
  21. can — to be able to
  22. file — a tool
  23. pit — a hole
  24. perch — for a bird

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