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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — the time now
  4. last — final
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. present — there
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. current — electric
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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