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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kid — child
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pop — to visit
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pop — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — the month
  23. pop — soda
  24. march — music

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