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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. current — electric
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — of water
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. current — happening now
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. kid — to tease
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kid — child
  15. rock — a stone
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pound — a weight
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rock — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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