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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. current — happening now
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. press — newspapers
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. shower — to wash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stock — shares
  14. last — to go on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. current — of water
  17. press — to push
  18. current — electric
  19. last — final
  20. shower — rain
  21. stock — goods
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. last — finally
  24. nail — for a hammer

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