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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. march — music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. track — a song
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. track — a path
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spring — of water
  14. march — the month
  15. track — to keep track
  16. march — the month
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitch — completely
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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