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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — electric
  5. bank — of a river
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — of water
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fall — the season
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. content — the amount
  21. bank — for money
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pit — in a race
  24. current — happening now

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