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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bat — the animal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ground — a position
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. current — of water
  21. wound — an injury
  22. current — happening now
  23. suit — to fit
  24. ground — crushed

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