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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. swing — music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. suit — to fit
  5. drill — army training
  6. kick — in football
  7. wind — moving air
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. swing — in golf
  12. drill — the tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. swing — to play on
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — happening now
  24. suit — clothes

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