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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: pop · can · bat · cabinet · dip · fan · spell · firm

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pop — music
  5. spell — letters
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pop — soda
  11. spell — magic
  12. firm — decided
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. firm — steady
  22. spell — a short time
  23. firm — a company
  24. can — a tin

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