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

Word bank: pop · racket · current · swing · pound · cell

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. current — electric
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. current — happening now
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — of water
  18. cell — in biology

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