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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. swing — to play on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. current — happening now
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pit — in a race
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. bat — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. net — after costs
  24. rash — hasty

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