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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — to be able to
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. branch — a division
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — a container
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. perch — the fish

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