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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. game — wild animals
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — a stone
  9. net — for catching
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. net — in sport
  13. march — the month
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. march — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. net — after costs
  19. game — a match
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hide — to keep secret

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