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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. deal — to handle
  3. can — a tin
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pop — soda
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. can — a tin
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — a hat
  12. staff — employees
  13. stock — shares
  14. rock — music
  15. pop — music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stock — goods
  18. cap — a lid
  19. shower — rain
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pop — to visit
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rock — a stone

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