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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. present — a gift
  9. sharp — clever
  10. swing — to play on
  11. net — in sport
  12. present — the time now
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — of water
  15. present — there
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — the tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. sharp — with an edge

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