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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. current — electric
  2. chest — a box
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — of water
  8. scale — in music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitch — completely
  17. scale — size or range
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. chest — of your body
  21. degree — temperature
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. suit — clothes
  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