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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. kid — child
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bass — low music
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rest — a break
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rock — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pound — a weight
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rock — a stone
  23. current — of water
  24. rest — what's left

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