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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. march — music
  9. swing — music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. track — a path
  14. pit — a hole
  15. track — a song
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — a tool
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. rush — hurry
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — an aircraft

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