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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — happening now
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — of water
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. kick — in football
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. root — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. current — electric
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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