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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · can · current · kid · game · saw · rush · prune

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. game — a match
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. kid — child
  6. current — happening now
  7. tube — a container
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. can — a tin
  12. kid — to tease
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — of water
  20. game — wild animals
  21. tube — the underground
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. current — electric

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