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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. current — of water
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. band — a ring
  5. club — for golf
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pitch — completely
  9. club — for dancing
  10. current — electric
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a music group
  13. club — a group
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. current — happening now
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. squash — to crush
  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