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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. swing — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. swing — in golf
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — electric
  10. object — a thing
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tube — the underground
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — an aim
  20. swing — to play on
  21. object — to protest
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. nail — on a finger

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