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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. current — happening now
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. current — of water
  8. bulb — for light
  9. squash — to crush
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. current — electric
  12. swing — in golf
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bark — to shout
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — a series
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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