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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — in golf
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. suit — in cards
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. march — music
  12. current — happening now
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. swing — to play on
  16. march — the month
  17. bat — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. suit — clothes
  22. clip — to cut
  23. saw — the tool
  24. clip — a video

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