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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — a hat
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cap — of ice
  6. kick — in football
  7. tube — a container
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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