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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fork — in a road
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — help
  5. kick — in football
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. can — a tin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. current — electric
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. current — happening now
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. can — to be able to
  16. hand — in cards
  17. squash — the sport
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — of water
  21. squash — to crush
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fork — a garden tool

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