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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. current — happening now
  8. pop — soda
  9. current — of water
  10. pop — music
  11. lean — thin
  12. fine — all right
  13. can — to be able to
  14. current — electric
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — to visit
  17. squash — to crush
  18. lean — to bend

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