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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. squash — the sport
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. file — a document
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. suit — in cards
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — to fit
  18. file — a tool
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. suit — clothes
  24. current — of water

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