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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. row — a line
  4. track — a song
  5. object — a thing
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. charge — electricity
  10. can — to be able to
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. object — to protest
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — a tin
  18. object — an aim
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. pop — to visit
  22. track — a path
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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