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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rule — government
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rule — a law
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cap — of ice
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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