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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. club — a group
  19. tube — the underground
  20. drill — army training
  21. tube — a container
  22. drill — the tool
  23. club — for golf
  24. can — a tin

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