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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: leaves · racket · current · swing · squash · drill · stock · bear

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. swing — music
  3. current — electric
  4. drill — army training
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stock — goods
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stock — shares
  15. current — of water
  16. squash — to crush
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. squash — the sport
  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