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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. kid — to tease
  4. swing — in golf
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. branch — a division
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fork — in a road
  10. current — electric
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. current — of water
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rush — hurry
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. kid — child
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. squash — the sport
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rush — to hurry

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