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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rock — music
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. current — of water
  10. object — an aim
  11. rock — a stone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. craft — boats
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitch — completely
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. object — a thing
  19. current — electric
  20. track — a song
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bowl — a dish

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