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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 120 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: can · rock · saw · last · current · object · kid · game

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kid — to tease
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. current — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — a stone
  8. last — to go on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. object — to protest
  14. current — electric
  15. rock — music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. last — final
  18. kid — child
  19. can — to be able to
  20. object — an aim
  21. game — a match
  22. last — finally
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. object — a thing

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