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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. current — electric
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitch — completely
  7. perch — the fish
  8. current — happening now
  9. suit — clothes
  10. swing — music
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stem — to come from
  14. suit — to fit
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. current — of water
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. face — to confront
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. swing — to play on
  24. suit — in cards

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