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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. current — electric
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spring — the season
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. spring — of water

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