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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. game — a match
  15. toast — bread
  16. current — of water
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. current — happening now
  20. game — wild animals
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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