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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chest — of your body
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fork — in a road
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. scale — size or range
  20. charge — a price
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. chest — of your body
  23. charge — in control
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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