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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hand — in cards
  4. current — electric
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. content — happy
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. current — happening now
  9. chest — of your body
  10. craft — boats
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. current — of water
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hand — help
  24. content — the amount

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