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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ground · staff

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. swing — to play on
  4. current — of water
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. staff — employees
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rash — hasty
  10. swing — in golf
  11. row — a line
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. staff — employees
  14. current — electric
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ball — a great time
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. current — happening now
  20. rash — a series
  21. staff — a stick
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. swing — music

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