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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cue — a hint
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cue — a signal
  6. net — for catching
  7. cue — for pool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. present — there
  12. squash — the sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. rock — a stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. can — to be able to
  19. net — after costs
  20. clip — a video
  21. rock — music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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