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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. track — to keep track
  5. net — after costs
  6. current — electric
  7. swing — music
  8. land — to come down
  9. swing — to play on
  10. net — for catching
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. track — a song
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. vault — a safe
  17. land — ground
  18. net — in sport
  19. track — a path
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. land — a country

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