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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. present — the time now
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. current — electric
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. present — a gift
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. current — happening now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — a practice
  18. season — of the year
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — there
  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