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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bulb — for light
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — music
  20. can — to be able to
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pit — a hole
  24. swing — to play on

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