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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cap — a hat
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. last — to go on
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bark — to shout
  8. craft — a skill
  9. last — finally
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. row — a line
  15. current — of water
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. last — final
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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