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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. current — happening now
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. net — for catching
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. net — after costs
  8. current — electric
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wind — moving air
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fine — all right
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. net — in sport
  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