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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. land — ground
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — happening now
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bank — of a river
  18. land — to come down
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — a hat
  21. can — a tin
  22. bank — for money
  23. pop — music
  24. land — a country

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