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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ground — the earth
  13. dip — to sink
  14. court — of a king
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stand — to bear
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. ground — a position
  21. scale — in music
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ground — crushed

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