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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mug — to rob
  3. current — happening now
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mug — a face
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — a permit
  11. swing — music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. swing — to play on
  14. current — electric
  15. bound — certain
  16. stock — shares
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. current — of water
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stock — goods
  24. pass — to succeed

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