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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a path
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. track — a song
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bore — to drill
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — to tire
  19. current — electric
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. current — of water
  22. track — to keep track
  23. field — for sport
  24. can — a tin

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