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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. bank — for money
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. vault — a safe
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. march — music
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bass — low music
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — a position
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bank — for money
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. march — the month
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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