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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hand — in cards
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hand — help
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. spring — the season
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitch — completely
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spring — of water
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spring — a coil
  20. file — a document
  21. mug — a cup
  22. current — electric
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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