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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — for sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. clip — a video
  10. game — a match
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. clip — to cut
  13. field — a subject
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stand — to bear
  22. field — farmland
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. clip — for paper

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