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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. current — of water
  7. rush — hurry
  8. can — to be able to
  9. suit — in cards
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. can — a tin
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ground — a position
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chair — a leader

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