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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a great time
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. present — the time now
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. shower — rain
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ball — a dance
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. ball — a round shape

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