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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. file — a line of people
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. current — of water
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. file — a tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. current — electric
  18. track — a song
  19. court — for sport
  20. current — happening now
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. can — to be able to
  23. file — a document
  24. snap — to click

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