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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mark — a trace
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — the sport
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stock — shares
  17. chip — for betting
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stock — goods
  22. plane — a tool
  23. march — music
  24. current — electric

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