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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — in football
  5. can — a tin
  6. net — for catching
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — soda
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. prune — to trim
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. deal — to handle
  18. net — after costs
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — in sport
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. kick — with a leg

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