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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a great time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — thin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ground — a position
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. tube — a container
  15. lean — to bend
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — the earth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ground — crushed
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cabinet — ministers

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