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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rest — what's left
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bat — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rest — a break
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. current — of water
  24. bat — in an idiom

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