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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. can — a tin
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. saw — the tool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. can — to be able to
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. pop — music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. snap — to click
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bound — certain

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