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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. present — there
  6. pit — a hole
  7. field — a subject
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pit — in a race
  11. current — electric
  12. pitch — completely
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. current — happening now
  16. drill — army training
  17. present — the time now
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. present — a gift
  20. current — of water
  21. can — a tin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. drill — a practice
  24. arm — part of the body

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