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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. current — electric
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. net — after costs
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. current — happening now
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. current — of water

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