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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a dance
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — to bend
  14. current — electric
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lean — thin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. can — to be able to

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