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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — in golf
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bass — the fish
  7. suit — in cards
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — low music
  10. craft — boats
  11. suit — clothes
  12. swing — music
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rule — government
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rule — a law
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. suit — to fit
  22. current — of water
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. current — happening now

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