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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. drill — army training
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — of the year
  6. field — a subject
  7. dip — to sink
  8. last — final
  9. season — in sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. field — for sport
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. tube — a container
  14. field — farmland
  15. drill — a practice
  16. can — to be able to
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. tube — the underground
  23. drill — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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