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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hand — in cards
  4. current — of water
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. current — electric
  15. kid — child
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — help
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. kid — to tease

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