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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fine — all right
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pit — a hole
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. current — happening now
  22. swing — in golf
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. squash — the vegetable

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