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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. current — happening now
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — electric
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fall — the season
  14. lean — thin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — to confront
  20. fall — to drop
  21. degree — temperature
  22. can — to be able to
  23. current — of water
  24. chip — to eat

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