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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — the underground
  4. current — happening now
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. kid — child
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. current — of water
  11. kid — to tease
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — a weight
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. current — electric
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — a container
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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