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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mate — a friend
  5. file — a tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — all right
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fine — high quality

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