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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: bear · mate · pitch · kick · row · cell · current · jam

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. current — happening now
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. kick — in football
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. cell — in biology
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mate — a friend
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. current — of water
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bear — the animal

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