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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chest — of your body
  4. current — electric
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. current — happening now
  19. can — a tin
  20. chest — a box
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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