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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. current — of water
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rest — a break
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — happening now
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pass — a permit

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