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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. root — the cause
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. field — for sport
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. object — a thing
  15. root — of a word
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. kid — to tease
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kid — child
  23. can — a tin
  24. fan — a supporter

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