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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a song
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. track — to keep track
  6. current — happening now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. current — electric
  12. club — for dancing
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pitch — completely
  24. nail — on a finger

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