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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ball — a dance
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. march — the month
  6. current — electric
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. squash — the sport
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. fork — in a road
  19. march — music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. march — the month
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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