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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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Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bass — the fish
  4. can — a tin
  5. current — electric
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pit — in a race
  15. can — to be able to
  16. current — of water
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. tube — a container
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. current — happening now
  23. bass — low music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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