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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — farmland
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. staff — employees
  8. kick — in football
  9. field — for sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — employees
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. charge — a price
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. charge — in control
  19. field — a subject
  20. charge — electricity
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. staff — a stick
  24. racket — for tennis

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