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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. current — electric
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — a country
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — a grade
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. current — of water
  14. mark — a trace
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — happening now
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. game — wild animals
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. land — to come down
  22. can — to be able to
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. land — ground

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