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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. roll — a list
  3. land — a country
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — of ice
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. present — the time now
  9. cap — a hat
  10. land — ground
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — a gift
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. land — to come down
  24. present — there

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