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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. current — electric
  5. tube — the underground
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitch — completely
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bank — for money
  10. toast — bread
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. current — happening now
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. spring — the season
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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