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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — to wash
  3. land — to come down
  4. club — for dancing
  5. race — humankind
  6. branch — a division
  7. can — to be able to
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — a group
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. land — a country
  14. shower — rain
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. suit — clothes
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. race — a contest
  22. club — for golf
  23. suit — in cards
  24. land — ground

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