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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. present — the time now
  17. chair — a leader
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chip — to eat
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pitcher — a jug

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