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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. current — of water
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. current — electric
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — tied together
  13. swing — in golf
  14. field — farmland
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rash — hasty
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bound — obliged
  23. current — happening now
  24. bound — certain

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