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

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. field — for sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — of a river
  8. field — a subject
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — in football
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — of water
  18. field — farmland

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