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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. current — happening now
  3. pop — music
  4. date — the fruit
  5. current — of water
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wake — a trail
  8. swing — music
  9. current — electric
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. game — a match
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. swing — to play on
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. swing — in golf

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