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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rock — music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. present — the time now
  8. current — happening now
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rule — a law
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. present — a gift
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — there
  17. current — electric
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — of water
  20. swing — music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rule — government

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