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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pop — music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chest — a box
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ground — a position
  24. chest — of your 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