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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. can — to be able to
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mine — for digging
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mug — a cup
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. cap — a hat

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