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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. current — of water
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pop — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. current — happening now
  7. swing — music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. swing — in golf
  11. court — for sport
  12. suit — in cards
  13. current — electric
  14. suit — clothes
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bound — tied together
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bound — certain
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. court — of a king
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bound — obliged
  24. court — of law

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