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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rule — a law
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — electric
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. spring — of water
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — soda
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. current — of water
  22. rule — government
  23. pop — music
  24. calf — of the leg

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