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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. tear — from crying
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. band — a ring
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tear — to rip
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. current — electric
  17. pitch — completely
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — hurry
  20. band — a music group
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. charge — a price
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. tear — from crying

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