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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. land — ground
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — to come down
  5. object — a thing
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cap — of ice
  8. object — to protest
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bore — to drill
  15. object — an aim
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stock — goods
  18. band — a ring
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. band — a music group
  22. land — a country
  23. stock — shares
  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