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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bulb — for light
  4. game — wild animals
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — a weight
  7. shower — rain
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — all right
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pound — for dogs

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