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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. tube — a container
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pop — music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. row — a line
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. key — in music
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. current — of water
  13. pop — to visit
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — electric
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. current — happening now
  19. tube — the underground
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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