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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pop — music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — electric
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. suit — clothes
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pop — soda
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. current — happening now
  15. suit — to fit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitch — completely
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. current — of water
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pitch — a sports field

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