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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mate — to breed
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mate — a friend
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. current — electric
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mate — a partner
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. roll — a list
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — of water
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. trunk — of a car

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