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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 124 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ground — a position
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ground — the earth
  17. current — happening now
  18. foot — a measure
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ground — crushed
  23. current — of water
  24. jam — in traffic

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