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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. current — happening now
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mug — a face
  5. lean — to bend
  6. race — humankind
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. key — in music
  9. mug — to rob
  10. current — electric
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. current — of water
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lean — thin
  23. race — a contest
  24. straw — a straw man

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