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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — in golf
  5. row — a line
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. board — to get on
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ball — a dance
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ball — a great time
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — music
  24. patient — a sick person

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