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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bass — the fish
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bulb — for light
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bass — low music
  14. shower — rain
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mug — a face
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ground — a position
  21. club — for golf
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — a group
  24. bulb — for light

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