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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. last — finally
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. current — of water
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cold — not warm
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — to go on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cold — an illness
  18. current — happening now
  19. bat — the animal
  20. last — final
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bat — for baseball

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