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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ball — a dance
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a great time
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mate — a friend
  15. band — a music group
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. shower — rain

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