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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — to trim
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. court — of law
  8. current — electric
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. current — happening now
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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