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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — of water
  9. mate — to breed
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. tube — a container
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. current — happening now
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. current — electric
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rest — a break
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a dance

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