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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · safe · hide · stand · wake · current · pitch · ruler

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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. safe — out of danger
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stand — to bear
  8. current — of water
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. current — happening now
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. safe — a strongbox

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