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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cue — for pool
  5. file — a document
  6. cue — a hint
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — electric
  10. toast — bread
  11. current — of water
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cue — a signal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. file — a tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ground — a position
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitch — completely
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. file — a line of people

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