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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. clip — to cut
  3. can — to be able to
  4. current — of water
  5. rock — a stone
  6. clip — for paper
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — happening now
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — soda
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. track — a path
  13. current — electric
  14. squash — the sport
  15. track — a song
  16. rock — music
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pop — music
  19. clip — a video
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. track — to keep track
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. squash — to crush

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