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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rash — hasty
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. field — farmland
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — rain
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. current — of water
  15. field — for sport
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. field — a subject
  18. rash — a series
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. current — electric
  22. shower — to wash
  23. can — a tin
  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