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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. current — happening now
  3. rash — hasty
  4. can — a tin
  5. pop — to visit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spell — a short time
  10. current — electric
  11. can — a tin
  12. pop — soda
  13. current — of water
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — a series
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — magic
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — letters
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pop — music

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