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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — electric
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. present — there
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mate — a friend
  9. present — the time now
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. current — happening now
  14. present — a gift
  15. current — of water
  16. mate — to breed
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. shower — rain
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pop — music

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