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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. current — happening now
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. tube — a container
  7. swing — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. current — of water
  10. drill — the tool
  11. swing — to play on
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. land — to come down
  14. deal — to handle
  15. current — electric
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. tube — the underground
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. drill — a practice
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. branch — a division
  23. drill — army training
  24. tube — in a tire

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