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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. current — of water
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — soda
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. swing — in golf
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. current — electric
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pop — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. current — happening now
  24. pop — to visit

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