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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. scale — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitch — completely
  10. current — happening now
  11. rock — music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. scale — size or range
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fan — a supporter

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