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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.

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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. current — electric
  6. scale — size or range
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hand — in cards
  11. scale — in music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. row — a line
  15. game — wild animals
  16. hand — help
  17. row — to paddle
  18. game — a match
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. calf — a young animal

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