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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — happening now
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — electric
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tear — to rip
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. current — of water
  24. mark — a trace

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