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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. swing — music
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — happening now
  5. cap — a lid
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. current — electric
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. current — of water
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cap — of ice
  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