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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. current — happening now
  5. swing — music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. current — electric
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. hand — help
  12. current — of water
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pitch — completely

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