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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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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. current — electric
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitch — completely
  11. dip — to sink
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  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