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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. current — happening now
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pit — in a race
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bat — the animal
  7. current — electric
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ground — the earth
  14. spell — letters
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — a hole
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. current — of water
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. spell — magic

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