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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — a path
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. current — electric
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. deal — to handle
  24. track — a song

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