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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. swing — to play on
  4. can — to be able to
  5. capital — money
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. perch — the fish
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. capital — a city
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. swing — music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lean — to rest against

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