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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pit — a hole
  4. net — after costs
  5. staff — employees
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. current — of water
  8. pit — in a race
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitch — completely
  16. net — for catching
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. staff — employees
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. net — in sport
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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