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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. swing — in golf
  3. current — electric
  4. fine — all right
  5. field — a subject
  6. rush — hurry
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. current — happening now
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bear — the animal
  17. field — farmland
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. swing — music
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pass — to spend time

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