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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: bass · stick · can · bore · bat · cabinet · foot · suit

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. can — a tin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — the animal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bass — low music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bore — to tire
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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