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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. track — a path
  3. current — electric
  4. degree — temperature
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. degree — from a university
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitch — completely
  14. snap — to click
  15. degree — an amount
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. current — happening now
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. track — a song
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — of water

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