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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rock — music
  8. row — a line
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. rock — a stone
  12. row — to paddle
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. current — happening now
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — of the year
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. season — in sport
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. current — of water
  23. swing — to play on
  24. season — to add flavour

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