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

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. current — happening now
  3. object — a thing
  4. court — of a king
  5. rush — hurry
  6. clip — for paper
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spring — the season
  10. swing — in golf
  11. spring — of water
  12. swing — to play on
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. current — electric
  17. court — for sport
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. fine — all right
  21. object — an aim
  22. spring — a coil
  23. object — to protest
  24. fine — high quality

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