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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — a short time
  3. land — ground
  4. current — of water
  5. swing — music
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. spell — magic
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pound — a weight
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. land — to come down
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wax — to grow
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. land — a country
  22. spell — letters
  23. current — happening now
  24. pound — to hit hard

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