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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. current — electric
  3. suit — clothes
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wound — an injury
  7. net — for catching
  8. current — of water
  9. net — in sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. suit — to fit
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. scale — in music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. net — after costs
  22. cell — a phone
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ball — a great time

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