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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. kid — to tease
  3. roll — a list
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — to handle
  6. current — of water
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. roll — a cake
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. kid — child
  17. pitch — completely
  18. current — electric
  19. rash — hasty
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lie — an untruth

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