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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. current — electric
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. current — happening now
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. march — the month
  18. current — of water
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lean — thin
  21. tube — a container
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. tube — the underground

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