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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. staff — employees
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cap — of ice
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — a stick
  14. net — for catching
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — employees
  19. last — finally
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. last — final
  22. cap — a lid
  23. net — in sport
  24. current — happening now

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