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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — of water
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitch — completely
  7. file — a tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. file — a line of people
  10. track — a song
  11. current — electric
  12. file — a document
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. track — a path
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rock — music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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