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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cap — of ice
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. content — happy
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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