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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pop — soda
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chair — a leader
  14. track — a song
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. can — a tin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pop — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — a path

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