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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. current — happening now
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mark — a grade
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. current — of water
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — government
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. can — to be able to
  24. leaves — lets stay

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