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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bank — for money
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. roll — a list
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. squash — the sport
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. roll — a cake
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. swing — to play on
  18. squash — to crush
  19. swing — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. current — happening now
  23. bank — of a river
  24. roll — on a roll

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