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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitch — completely
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pass — a permit
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. key — in music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. row — a line
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. foot — a measure
  24. current — of water

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