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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. present — a gift
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. dip — to sink
  7. present — there
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — an aim
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. current — of water
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. present — the time now
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. current — happening now
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. dip — a sauce

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