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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. clip — a video
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. clip — to cut
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. tear — to rip
  13. clip — for paper
  14. degree — temperature
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chair — a leader
  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