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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cap — a hat
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rash — a series
  22. hand — help
  23. rock — music
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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