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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 116 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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. charge — in control
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. wound — an injury
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — happening now
  19. charge — electricity
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. current — of water
  24. bay — a horse colour

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