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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. track — a song
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — a price
  8. pop — soda
  9. track — a path
  10. can — a tin
  11. charge — in control
  12. swing — to play on
  13. track — to keep track
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. swing — music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. charge — electricity
  21. can — to be able to
  22. branch — a division
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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