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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. scale — in music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — electric
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rash — a series
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. scale — size or range
  12. squash — the sport
  13. swing — music
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rash — hasty
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. squash — to crush

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