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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. roll — a list
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — there
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. roll — a cake
  9. present — the time now
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. current — happening now
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bowl — a football final

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