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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rock — music
  3. current — happening now
  4. mark — a trace
  5. present — there
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a song
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wind — moving air
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a path
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mark — a grade
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. present — a gift
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mark — to pay attention

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