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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.

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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. track — a song
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. season — in sport
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — of the year
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. scale — size or range
  14. track — a path
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. scale — in music
  17. clip — for paper
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. clip — to cut
  21. track — to keep track
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. clip — a video
  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