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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — help
  3. rock — music
  4. hand — in cards
  5. object — an aim
  6. club — for dancing
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rock — a stone
  9. charge — in control
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. band — a music group
  12. dip — to sink
  13. object — a thing
  14. can — a tin
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. club — a group
  17. charge — a price
  18. can — to be able to
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a ring
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. object — to protest
  23. charge — electricity
  24. club — for golf

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