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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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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lean — to bend
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ground — a position
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lean — thin
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rash — a series
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitch — a sports field

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