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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spell — magic
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spell — letters
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kid — child
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. kid — to tease
  24. swing — music

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