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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — of water
  3. club — for golf
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. club — a group
  6. content — happy
  7. rule — a law
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rule — government
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. can — to be able to
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. content — the amount
  20. current — electric
  21. suit — in cards
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spring — the season
  24. current — of water

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