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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 116 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cap — a hat
  6. track — a song
  7. lean — to bend
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cap — of ice
  14. current — electric
  15. cap — a lid
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — thin
  19. squash — to crush
  20. swing — to play on
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a path
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. lean — to rest against

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