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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wind — moving air
  10. current — of water
  11. chest — of your body
  12. current — electric
  13. club — for golf
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitch — completely
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. current — happening now
  23. club — a group
  24. chest — a box

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