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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. current — electric
  3. fine — high quality
  4. can — a tin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitch — completely
  9. current — of water
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — a video
  12. current — happening now
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. clip — to cut
  18. hand — help
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fine — all right
  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