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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · rash · row · plane · current · swing

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. row — to paddle
  3. swing — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rash — a series
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rash — hasty
  10. current — happening now
  11. ball — a dance
  12. swing — in golf
  13. row — a line
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. swing — to play on
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. current — of water
  18. 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