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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. current — electric
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wake — a trail
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ground — a position
  10. club — for golf
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. club — a group
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bat — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. suit — clothes
  24. swing — music

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