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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. key — the most important part
  6. current — electric
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. capital — money
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. content — the amount
  19. capital — a city
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. key — in music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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