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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. present — a gift
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mine — for digging
  7. roll — a list
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mark — a grade
  11. can — to be able to
  12. roll — a cake
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. present — there
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. roll — on a roll

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