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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. current — electric
  4. game — wild animals
  5. current — of water
  6. game — a match
  7. ground — a position
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — a container
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — happening now
  15. mate — a friend
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ground — crushed
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ground — the earth

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