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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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