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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wind — moving air
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. current — electric
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bat — the animal
  10. current — happening now
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. swing — music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fine — high quality
  24. swing — to play on

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