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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. current — of water
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. perch — the fish
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. net — for catching
  14. saw — the tool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hand — in cards
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hand — help

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