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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. current — of water
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. march — the month
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. swing — music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wind — moving air
  17. march — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wind — to turn a key

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