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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — the underground
  3. current — electric
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — a container
  8. ground — a position
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ground — crushed
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. current — happening now
  14. content — happy
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mine — for digging
  21. current — of water
  22. perch — the fish
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. content — the amount

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