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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: foot · swing · current · toast · clip · game · rule · firm

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. clip — to cut
  5. firm — steady
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. game — wild animals
  8. current — of water
  9. clip — a video
  10. firm — decided
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. current — happening now
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rule — government
  15. firm — a company
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. swing — music
  19. game — a match
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rule — a law
  22. clip — for paper
  23. game — a kind of play
  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