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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: pitch · current · foot · cell · present · leaves · rule · pound

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. foot — a measure
  5. current — of water
  6. rule — a law
  7. present — there
  8. current — electric
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. current — happening now
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rule — government
  18. pound — a weight
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. present — the time now
  23. pitch — completely
  24. leaves — of a tree

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