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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — to visit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a document
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — electric
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. pitch — completely
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. file — a tool
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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