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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. current — electric
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. squash — the sport
  15. scale — in music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cap — of ice
  19. squash — to crush
  20. current — happening now
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. current — of water
  23. bound — certain
  24. cap — a hat

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