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

Word bank: rock · can · saw · pop · firm · fan · wound · season

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. firm — a company
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. saw — the tool
  9. season — in sport
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. can — a tin
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rock — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pop — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. rock — a stone

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