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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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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: content · can · lash · date · land · current · swing · pitcher

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. land — ground
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. date — the fruit
  7. land — a country
  8. current — electric
  9. swing — music
  10. land — to come down
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. content — happy
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. swing — to play on
  16. can — to be able to
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — a tin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — in golf

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