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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. date — the fruit
  4. kid — child
  5. current — electric
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — to keep track
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. club — for golf
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. club — a group
  21. track — a path
  22. swing — to play on
  23. club — for dancing
  24. track — a song

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