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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mine — for digging
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. swing — to play on
  7. toast — bread
  8. last — finally
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. perch — the fish
  11. swing — music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. last — to go on
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. current — happening now
  17. bass — the fish
  18. club — a group
  19. last — final
  20. current — electric
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — low music
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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