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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rule — a law
  5. wind — moving air
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — bread
  8. lean — thin
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rule — government
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. current — electric
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. field — for sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wind — moving air
  19. field — farmland
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. current — of water
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — the most admired
  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