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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. staff — a stick
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rock — a stone
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bass — the fish
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bass — low music

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