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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. march — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fine — all right
  7. current — of water
  8. date — the fruit
  9. march — the month
  10. plane — a tool
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — high quality
  16. swing — in golf
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. current — electric
  19. swing — to play on
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. swing — music

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