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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. swing — in golf
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lean — to bend
  5. current — happening now
  6. lean — thin
  7. current — electric
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pit — a hole
  10. swing — music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. current — of water
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pit — in a race
  18. season — in sport
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — an injury

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