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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. kick — in football
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — tied together
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. bound — certain
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. current — of water
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — to be able to
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. current — happening now
  21. cap — a lid
  22. current — electric
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bound — obliged

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