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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. band — a ring
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitch — completely
  5. race — a contest
  6. current — electric
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. swing — in golf
  14. current — of water
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — magic
  17. current — happening now
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. swing — music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bound — certain
  23. band — a music group
  24. spell — letters

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