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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. current — happening now
  4. net — after costs
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ground — the earth
  7. current — of water
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kick — in football
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mate — a friend
  21. current — electric
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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