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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — for catching
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — in sport
  5. cap — a lid
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. file — a tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cap — of ice
  14. net — after costs
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cap — a hat
  17. can — a tin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mate — a partner
  21. file — a document
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mate — a friend
  24. jam — in traffic

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