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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — soda
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. object — a thing
  6. fall — to drop
  7. current — happening now
  8. race — humankind
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. pop — music
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fall — the season
  24. can — to be able to

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