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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. present — the time now
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spell — letters
  10. race — a contest
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cue — a signal
  14. present — a gift
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cue — a hint
  22. present — there
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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