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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitch — completely
  4. last — final
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. last — to go on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — happening now
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. current — of water
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. last — finally
  16. current — electric
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. game — a match
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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