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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — in golf
  3. land — a country
  4. mug — a face
  5. swing — to play on
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. swing — music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — a cup
  15. object — to protest
  16. current — of water
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. object — a thing
  21. mug — to rob
  22. object — an aim
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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