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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. date — the fruit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. current — of water
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. swing — to play on
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. swing — music
  10. hand — help
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. hand — in cards
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — electric
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. snap — to click

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