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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wound — an injury
  15. current — electric
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — an agreement

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