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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. swing — in golf
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. row — to paddle
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. current — happening now
  12. scale — size or range
  13. present — there
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. swing — to play on
  16. present — the time now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. row — a line
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. present — a gift
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. swing — music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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