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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. swing — music
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. shower — to wash
  8. roll — a list
  9. club — for golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. roll — a cake
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. firm — decided
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — steady
  16. shower — rain
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. firm — a company
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. current — happening now
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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