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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · bulb · wake · foot · track · ball · cold · can

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ball — a great time
  4. can — a tin
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. track — a song
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cold — not warm
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. track — a path
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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