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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. current — happening now
  5. firm — decided
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. current — electric
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. firm — a company
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. file — a document
  15. ball — a great time
  16. file — a tool
  17. hand — help
  18. current — of water
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ball — a dance
  24. file — a line of people

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