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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. swing — music
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. file — a tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. swing — to play on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. hand — help
  14. ground — crushed
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ground — the earth
  18. hand — in cards
  19. ground — a position
  20. current — electric
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. cue — a signal

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