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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. club — a group
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitch — completely
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — of water
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tear — from crying
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tear — to rip
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a dance
  24. current — happening now

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