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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — to visit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spring — of water
  7. pop — soda
  8. object — an aim
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. board — to get on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — a committee
  13. can — to be able to
  14. dip — to sink
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — to protest
  18. pop — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spring — the season
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — a thing
  24. spring — a coil

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