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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bat — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — of water
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bound — obliged
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bat — in an idiom

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