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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: toast · rock · bay · wave · current · pitch · bat · can

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. rock — music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. can — to be able to
  6. toast — bread
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rock — a stone
  19. current — happening now
  20. can — a tin
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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