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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. bank — of a river
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chip — for betting
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. bass — the fish
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bass — low music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hand — help
  17. bank — for money
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — to eat
  22. hand — in cards
  23. saw — the tool
  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