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

Word bank: fine · swing · bowl · tear · current · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fine — all right
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. swing — music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fine — high quality
  13. swing — in golf
  14. current — electric
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. current — of water
  17. tear — to rip
  18. current — happening now

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