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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a trace
  4. net — after costs
  5. stand — to bear
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chest — of your body
  10. net — for catching
  11. root — the cause
  12. mark — a grade
  13. root — of a word
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. scale — size or range
  17. root — of a plant
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — in sport
  20. scale — in music
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chest — a box
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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