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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. can — to be able to
  3. object — a thing
  4. present — the time now
  5. land — ground
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. current — electric
  8. present — there
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. present — a gift
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — to come down
  14. deal — to handle
  15. land — a country
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. object — an aim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. object — to protest
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. current — of water
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. current — happening now

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