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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. current — of water
  3. track — a song
  4. file — a line of people
  5. track — a path
  6. file — a document
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — an amount
  11. track — to keep track
  12. current — electric
  13. cap — a lid
  14. can — to be able to
  15. file — a tool
  16. degree — from a university
  17. current — happening now
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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