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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mark — a trace
  3. firm — steady
  4. band — a ring
  5. mark — a grade
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ground — a position
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. current — of water
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitch — completely
  17. current — electric
  18. pit — in a race
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pit — a hole
  23. current — happening now
  24. perch — for a bird

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