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

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pit — a hole
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. current — electric
  7. can — a tin
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. current — of water
  10. can — a tin
  11. current — happening now
  12. roll — a list
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury

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