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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. current — electric
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stock — goods
  11. current — of water
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. current — happening now
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stock — shares
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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