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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. face — to point toward
  5. track — a path
  6. game — a match
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. track — a song
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. snap — to click
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. face — to confront
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pitch — completely
  20. game — wild animals
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. face — part of the head
  23. track — to keep track
  24. foot — the bottom

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