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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. can — a tin
  2. current — electric
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. foot — a measure
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — the earth
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ground — crushed
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. current — of water
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. object — to protest
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ground — a position
  23. foot — the bottom
  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