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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — boats
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rock — a stone
  13. key — the most important part
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. ground — the earth
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rock — music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ground — a position
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. key — in music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. swing — music
  24. patient — a sick person

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