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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stock — shares
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — a list
  5. kid — child
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. roll — a cake
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kid — to tease
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. current — electric
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — goods
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. current — of water
  24. roll — on a roll

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