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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. shower — rain
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — in golf
  16. current — happening now
  17. swing — to play on
  18. scale — size or range
  19. current — electric
  20. swing — music
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. scale — in music

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