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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pop — music
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. current — electric
  5. object — an aim
  6. current — happening now
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. current — of water
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. object — to protest
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kid — child
  22. pop — soda
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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