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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. game — a match
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. current — of water
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. track — a path
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — wild animals
  14. current — happening now
  15. wound — an injury
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. current — electric
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. swing — music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rock — music
  24. wound — an injury

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