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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. current — of water
  4. stock — goods
  5. swing — in golf
  6. current — electric
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — rain
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. swing — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. shower — to wash
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. current — happening now
  18. craft — boats
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stock — shares
  21. wake — a trail
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cue — a hint

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