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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. can — to be able to
  3. current — happening now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — in music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lie — to recline
  10. tube — a container
  11. cap — a hat
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — to come down
  15. current — electric
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — a country
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — of water
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. tube — the underground

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