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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. can — to be able to
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pit — a hole
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — to crush
  16. current — happening now
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. current — of water
  21. can — a tin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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