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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rash — hasty
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. roll — a list
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — a series
  20. current — electric
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. current — happening now
  23. rock — a stone
  24. racket — for tennis

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