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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pop — music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. craft — a skill
  10. field — for sport
  11. current — of water
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pop — to visit
  18. craft — boats
  19. pop — soda
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. field — farmland
  22. current — electric
  23. field — a subject
  24. bowl — to roll

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