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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. roll — a list
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. current — happening now
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. swing — to play on
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ball — a dance
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rash — hasty
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rash — a series
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. can — a tin

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