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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. roll — a list
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. roll — a cake
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. current — electric
  13. suit — to fit
  14. swing — in golf
  15. current — of water
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. current — happening now
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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