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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. current — of water
  3. tube — a container
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. roll — a list
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — happening now
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. kick — in football
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. chair — a leader
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — electric
  24. roll — a cake

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