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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. spring — of water
  3. pop — to visit
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. current — electric
  6. firm — a company
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pop — soda
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chest — a box
  15. spring — the season
  16. mate — a partner
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — of water
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. firm — decided
  21. pop — music
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. current — happening now

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