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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: cell · track · tube · swing · saw · hand · squash · current

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. tube — a container
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. hand — help
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. squash — the sport
  10. current — of water
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cell — a phone
  14. swing — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cell — in biology
  20. swing — to play on
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tube — the underground

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