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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: mug · bat · wave · current · swing · spring · stock · bay

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spring — of water
  5. swing — music
  6. mug — a face
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stock — shares
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. current — happening now
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stock — goods
  20. current — of water
  21. mug — a cup
  22. current — electric
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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