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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spell — letters
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ball — a dance
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ball — a great time
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a line of people
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. current — of water
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. game — a match

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