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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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. present — the time now
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pit — a hole
  9. march — the month
  10. present — a gift
  11. row — a line
  12. present — there
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bound — certain
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — a hint
  20. march — music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. march — the month
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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