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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. current — happening now
  9. hand — in cards
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wax — to grow
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hand — help
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. hand — part of the body

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