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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. club — a group
  3. spring — the season
  4. net — after costs
  5. club — for golf
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. present — there
  8. spring — a coil
  9. current — electric
  10. can — a tin
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. club — for dancing
  13. spring — of water
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — of water
  16. net — in sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. present — a gift
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — the time 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