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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. current — electric
  8. fine — all right
  9. suit — clothes
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — of water
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spring — the season
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. game — a match
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spring — a coil
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — happening now
  24. suit — to fit

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