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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. land — ground
  3. file — a document
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. march — the month
  7. current — happening now
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pitch — completely
  10. file — a tool
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rock — a stone
  13. land — to come down
  14. rock — music
  15. land — a country
  16. march — music
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. current — electric
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. current — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — the month

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