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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cap — of ice
  3. present — the time now
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. current — happening now
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cap — a hat
  10. race — a contest
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — of water
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pound — a weight
  18. race — the arms race
  19. present — there
  20. race — humankind
  21. wake — a trail
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — electric
  24. mouse — the animal

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