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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitch — completely
  4. current — of water
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — happening now
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. band — a music group
  14. game — a match
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. band — a ring
  19. rock — a stone
  20. shower — to wash
  21. game — wild animals
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. band — a rubber band

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