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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. current — happening now
  3. spell — magic
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. drill — army training
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bass — the fish
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. swing — in golf
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. swing — music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. spell — letters
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. scale — in music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pit — in a race
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. pit — a hole

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