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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. swing — music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. race — a contest
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. firm — steady
  10. race — the arms race
  11. current — happening now
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. firm — decided
  14. swing — to play on
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. race — humankind
  17. club — a group
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — a company
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. toast — bread
  23. swing — in golf
  24. current — of water

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