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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. track — a path
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. roll — a list
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — a series
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. present — there
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rash — hasty
  16. tube — the underground
  17. current — electric
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. current — happening now
  20. fine — all right
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. track — to keep track
  23. present — a gift
  24. fine — a penalty

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