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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. rest — a break
  3. current — happening now
  4. swing — music
  5. land — to come down
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — a country
  10. rest — what's left
  11. swing — in golf
  12. content — the amount
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. content — happy
  16. land — ground
  17. bore — to tire
  18. squash — to crush
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. current — electric
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. squash — the sport
  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