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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — to visit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — of water
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — happening now
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rest — a break
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. present — a gift
  13. pop — soda
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — music
  17. present — there
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rush — hurry
  20. present — the time now
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. current — electric

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