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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: calf · current · toast · swing · pitcher · land · lean · rock

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rock — a stone
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. swing — to play on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rock — music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. land — ground
  22. current — of water
  23. swing — music
  24. current — electric

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