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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: mug · toast · spell · rule · stick · current · net · pitch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. current — of water
  3. net — after costs
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — electric
  8. spell — magic
  9. rule — government
  10. toast — bread
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. net — for catching
  14. spell — letters
  15. rule — a law
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — to rob
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spell — a short time
  23. net — in sport
  24. toast — the most admired

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