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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. current — of water
  4. band — a music group
  5. swing — music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ball — a great time
  11. current — electric
  12. band — a ring
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ball — a dance
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. swing — to play on
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ball — a round shape

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