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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: swing · chip · bulb · toast · ruler · racket · straw · current

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — in golf
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chip — to eat
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. current — electric
  20. toast — bread
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. swing — music
  24. bulb — for light

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