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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 120 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: mark · dip · mug · bowl · wound · swing · current · saw

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. current — happening now
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mug — a face
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. swing — in golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. mug — a cup
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mug — to rob
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. swing — music

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