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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — of water
  4. chest — of your body
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. capital — money
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. current — electric
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. press — to push
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. current — happening now
  21. press — a publisher
  22. capital — a city
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. temple — side of the head

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