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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. current — happening now
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. current — of water
  7. swing — in golf
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rush — hurry
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. swing — to play on
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — a coil
  14. can — a tin
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. current — electric
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. can — to be able to
  24. swing — music

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