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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. object — an aim
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. object — to protest
  5. current — happening now
  6. kid — child
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. object — a thing
  10. roll — a cake
  11. rock — music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. current — of water
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. current — electric
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. file — a tool
  20. roll — a list
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. kid — to tease

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