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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — the season
  3. drill — army training
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. spring — of water
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. perch — the fish
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — ministers

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