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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. swing — music
  7. stock — goods
  8. race — a contest
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rush — hurry
  14. race — humankind
  15. dip — to sink
  16. swing — to play on
  17. hand — help
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stock — shares
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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