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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. swing — music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. swing — in golf
  5. file — a document
  6. current — happening now
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cap — a lid
  11. perch — the fish
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a line of people
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — electric
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cap — of ice
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — a match
  23. file — a tool
  24. cap — a hat

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