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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mark — a trace
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — electric
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. swing — music
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. club — for golf
  10. current — of water
  11. club — for dancing
  12. object — an aim
  13. current — happening now
  14. club — a group
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — to play on
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a grade
  24. degree — temperature

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