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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · can · pop · bat · rush · fine · land · mark

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. land — a country
  4. pop — to visit
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. land — ground
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. land — to come down
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fine — all right
  18. rush — hurry
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fine — high quality
  21. can — a tin
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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