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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. field — a subject
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pop — music
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mine — for digging
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. current — of water
  19. field — for sport
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. current — electric
  24. pop — soda

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