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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pitch — completely
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. current — electric
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — of water
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — happening now
  13. bass — low music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bark — to shout
  20. swing — music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — the fish

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