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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bat — the animal
  19. march — music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — to roll

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