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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. current — happening now
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rock — music
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. current — of water
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lean — thin
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. current — electric

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