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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. shower — rain
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cap — of ice
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. swing — music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cap — a hat
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pound — to hit hard

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