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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: temple · racket · snap · row · swing · jam · suit · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. current — of water
  2. swing — in golf
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. suit — to fit
  5. row — a line
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. swing — to play on
  15. current — electric
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. row — to paddle
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. snap — to click
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. current — happening now
  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