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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stand — to bear
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. pound — a weight
  8. current — of water
  9. key — in music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. current — happening now
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. current — electric
  24. pitcher — in 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