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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · current · foot · wind · swing · pitch · scale · rash

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mark — a trace
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. swing — in golf
  12. scale — in music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. current — electric
  16. mark — a grade
  17. swing — music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. scale — size or range
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. foot — a measure
  24. scale — for weighing

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