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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pitch — completely
  10. current — of water
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — happening now
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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