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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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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: toast · swing · bay · club · file · straw · mouse · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. club — a group
  6. file — a tool
  7. swing — in golf
  8. toast — bread
  9. current — of water
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. file — a document
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. swing — music
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. current — electric
  20. file — a line of people
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. bay — a horse colour

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