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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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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: bay · stick · mug · rule · swing · trunk · pitch · current

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. mug — a face
  2. swing — music
  3. rule — a law
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mug — to rob
  13. current — electric
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rule — government
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. current — of water
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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