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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — shares
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — there
  7. hand — help
  8. track — a song
  9. stock — goods
  10. saw — the tool
  11. present — the time now
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. track — a path
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — in cards
  20. track — to keep track
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. can — to be able to
  24. nail — for a hammer

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