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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — happening now
  4. can — to be able to
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. current — electric
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stand — to bear
  16. game — a match
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. foot — a measure
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. current — of water
  23. game — wild animals
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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