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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. land — a country
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. land — to come down
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pop — to visit
  17. land — ground
  18. pop — music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ball — a great time
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pop — soda

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