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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. current — of water
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. file — a line of people
  11. current — electric
  12. file — a document
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — happening now
  19. ground — the earth
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. file — a tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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