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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. can — to be able to
  4. game — wild animals
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stock — shares
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — to protest
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — goods
  23. pass — a permit
  24. prune — the fruit

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