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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. plane — a tool
  3. swing — music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cap — of ice
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. current — happening now
  9. swing — in golf
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. current — electric
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — of water
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fork — in a road
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cap — a hat
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. staff — employees

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