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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. drill — army training
  3. pit — a hole
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. kick — in football
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. track — a song
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. current — happening now
  19. drill — a practice
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. current — electric
  22. ground — the earth
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pit — in a race

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