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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. craft — a skill
  5. spell — letters
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. swing — music
  8. current — of water
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. spell — magic
  11. swing — to play on
  12. spell — a short time
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. band — a music group
  15. rule — a law
  16. current — electric
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. band — a ring
  20. rule — government
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kick — in football
  23. current — happening now
  24. kick — a thrill

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