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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitch — completely
  3. current — electric
  4. net — for catching
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. net — after costs
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. current — of water
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — thin
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lean — to bend
  22. current — happening now
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cue — a signal

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