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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rock — a stone
  3. swing — in golf
  4. scale — in music
  5. bound — certain
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. current — electric
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. swing — music
  12. current — happening now
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. clip — for paper
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rock — music
  17. current — of water
  18. bear — the animal
  19. clip — a video
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. clip — to cut
  24. craft — boats

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