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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. swing — music
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — happening now
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pop — soda
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. net — after costs
  13. pop — to visit
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pit — in a race
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. current — electric
  20. net — for catching
  21. snap — to click
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — music
  24. bark — to shout

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