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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pop — soda
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. suit — to fit
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pop — music
  9. field — a subject
  10. snap — to click
  11. pop — to visit
  12. field — for sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. craft — boats
  15. suit — clothes
  16. craft — a skill
  17. field — farmland
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. vault — a safe
  23. can — to be able to
  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