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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. kid — to tease
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. dip — to sink
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — in a road
  14. squash — to crush
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — to be able to
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. can — a tin
  21. content — happy
  22. current — electric
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. squash — the vegetable

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