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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. current — electric
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kid — child
  5. firm — decided
  6. net — after costs
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. kid — to tease
  10. net — in sport
  11. rash — a series
  12. key — in music
  13. firm — steady
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. firm — a company
  17. net — for catching
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitch — completely
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rash — on the skin

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