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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. pitch — completely
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. club — for golf
  9. net — for catching
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. present — the time now
  13. current — electric
  14. pit — a hole
  15. current — of water
  16. present — there
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. club — a group
  21. net — after costs
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. net — in sport

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