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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. march — music
  5. net — for catching
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — electric
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — a law
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitch — completely
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. march — the month
  21. net — after costs
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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