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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — a line
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. can — a tin
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — to paddle
  21. shower — rain
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — a jug

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