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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pop — music
  5. rash — hasty
  6. net — for catching
  7. swing — in golf
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. current — happening now
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pop — to visit
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. net — after costs
  21. swing — music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pop — soda
  24. rash — a series

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