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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 124 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ground — a position
  7. cue — a signal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hand — in cards
  11. scale — in music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bound — tied together
  14. current — happening now
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hand — help
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wound — an injury
  24. current — electric

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