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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. track — a song
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. current — happening now
  14. track — a path
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — completely
  19. club — a group
  20. track — to keep track
  21. kick — in football
  22. club — for golf
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. club — for dancing

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