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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. file — a tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. current — happening now
  5. land — a country
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. file — a document
  10. land — to come down
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. content — the amount
  13. land — ground
  14. content — happy
  15. present — a gift
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. present — the time now
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a line of people
  21. present — there
  22. current — of water
  23. pass — a permit
  24. can — a tin

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