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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. firm — steady
  9. season — in sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. march — the month
  13. mark — a trace
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — a company
  16. current — happening now
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. firm — decided
  20. row — to paddle
  21. season — of the year
  22. mark — a grade
  23. current — of water
  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