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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · key · roll · pitcher · tube · fall · mate · current

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mate — to breed
  8. roll — a cake
  9. key — in music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fall — the season
  18. can — a tin
  19. current — of water
  20. key — for a lock
  21. tube — a container
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — a partner
  24. roll — a list

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