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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pit — a hole
  3. spell — letters
  4. current — of water
  5. swing — music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spell — a short time
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spell — magic
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — ground
  18. current — electric

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