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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 124 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. season — of the year
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. current — of water
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. season — in sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rock — music
  24. pound — a weight

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