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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. firm — a company
  2. cold — an illness
  3. toast — bread
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. current — happening now
  9. cold — not warm
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. current — electric
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. firm — steady
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — decided
  22. lean — thin
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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