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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. season — in sport
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. current — of water
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rock — music
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rock — a stone
  16. current — happening now
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. date — the fruit
  21. fine — all right
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fine — high quality
  24. plane — a tool

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