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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. scale — size or range
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. drill — army training
  6. net — in sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — high quality
  10. drill — the tool
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — to trim
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. scale — in music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. can — a tin
  18. fine — all right
  19. chip — for betting
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. can — a tin
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fine — a penalty

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