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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fork — in a road
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. row — a line
  6. bat — the animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pop — to visit
  11. can — to be able to
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. drill — a practice
  18. row — to paddle
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pop — music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pop — soda

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