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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: firm · bear · cabinet · current · race · spring · cue · swing

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. race — the arms race
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — to play on
  8. race — humankind
  9. swing — in golf
  10. spring — the season
  11. firm — steady
  12. spring — of water
  13. current — of water
  14. firm — a company
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. swing — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. current — electric
  21. race — a contest
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — decided
  24. current — happening now

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