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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. kid — to tease
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. kid — child
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. current — electric
  8. land — to come down
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. land — a country
  12. firm — steady
  13. shower — rain
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. land — ground
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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