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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. current — happening now
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. current — electric
  14. club — a group
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cell — a phone
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pitch — completely
  20. current — of water
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bore — to drill
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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