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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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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: bear · present · chair · pitch · pit · wake · current · game

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — of water
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — a gift
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. game — a match
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bear — the animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. present — there
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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