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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — a country
  7. swing — music
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spell — letters
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mate — a partner
  12. current — electric
  13. swing — in golf
  14. land — ground
  15. swing — to play on
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. current — of water
  22. spell — magic
  23. land — to come down
  24. game — a match

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