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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. current — happening now
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. swing — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pit — in a race
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. suit — in cards
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — to tease
  15. swing — in golf
  16. field — a subject
  17. pit — a hole
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kid — child
  24. current — electric

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