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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. current — electric
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. current — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ground — a position
  19. spring — a coil
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. temple — side of the head
  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