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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kid — child

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