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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: can · key · tube · mug · pitcher · current · swing · bat

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. key — in music
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bat — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mug — a cup
  10. tube — a container
  11. current — electric
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. current — happening now
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. current — of water
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. can — to be able to

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