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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. can — to be able to
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. fall — the season
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pop — soda
  22. can — a tin
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — happening now

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