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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. current — electric
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. drill — army training
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ground — a position
  22. current — happening now
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — a practice

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