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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. swing — music
  5. lean — thin
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. current — happening now
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. current — of water
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lean — to bend
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bark — of a tree

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