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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. sharp — clever
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. board — a committee
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. board — to get on
  11. cell — a phone
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fork — in a road
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — in biology
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kick — in football
  18. rock — music
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cell — in a prison

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