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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — in cards
  4. tube — a container
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — for money
  10. kick — in football
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. current — electric
  15. ground — crushed
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ground — a position
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ground — the earth
  24. kick — with a leg

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