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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. last — finally
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. last — final
  5. drill — the tool
  6. object — to protest
  7. swing — to play on
  8. current — electric
  9. drill — army training
  10. object — a thing
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. drill — a practice
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. swing — in golf
  19. current — of water
  20. craft — a skill
  21. last — to go on
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. current — happening now
  24. object — an aim

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