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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pop — to visit
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — electric
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pitch — completely
  18. current — happening now
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pop — soda
  22. current — of water
  23. pop — music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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