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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. current — happening now
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pound — a weight
  6. current — of water
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. saw — the tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. saw — the tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chest — a box
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chest — of your body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cell — in biology
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mate — a partner
  24. current — electric

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