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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. net — in sport
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — a grade
  8. file — a tool
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. net — for catching
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. file — a document
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bear — the animal
  24. net — after costs

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