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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pass — a permit
  3. current — electric
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. can — a tin
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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