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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. track — to keep track
  9. march — the month
  10. hand — help
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. can — a tin
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wake — a trail
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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