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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. saw — the tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rule — government
  7. row — a line
  8. ground — a position
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pitch — completely
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. foot — a measure
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rule — a law

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