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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — of water
  10. cap — a lid
  11. track — a path
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cap — a hat
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. deal — to handle
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. track — a song

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