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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — crushed
  5. shower — to wash
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — rain
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. content — the amount
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pit — in a race
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. can — to be able to
  16. content — happy
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — the earth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ground — a position
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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