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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. spring — a coil
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. current — of water
  6. swing — music
  7. file — a document
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bass — low music
  10. spring — of water
  11. suit — in cards
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. suit — to fit
  15. file — a tool
  16. swing — in golf
  17. net — after costs
  18. current — electric
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. spring — the season
  22. bass — the fish
  23. net — in sport
  24. file — a line of people

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