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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ground — a position
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — electric
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pop — music
  21. current — of water
  22. ground — crushed
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ground — the earth

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