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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. swing — music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. staff — employees
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. spell — letters
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. swing — in golf
  11. current — of water
  12. scale — size or range
  13. date — the fruit
  14. staff — a stick
  15. content — the amount
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. can — to be able to
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — in music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. content — happy
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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