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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. current — of water
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. content — happy
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. board — to get on
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. content — the amount
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. current — electric
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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