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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. drill — army training
  3. net — after costs
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — to bear
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. band — a music group
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — a practice
  14. band — a ring
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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