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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fall — the season
  4. swing — music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. current — electric
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — in golf
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. current — of water
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. game — a match
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rash — a series

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