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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — after costs
  6. can — to be able to
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. roll — a cake
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. scale — in music
  17. net — for catching
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stand — to bear
  20. roll — a list
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stand — for spectators

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