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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: safe · current · pitcher · rush · tube · swing · cold · mark

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — hurry
  6. current — electric
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cold — not warm
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. swing — to play on
  13. tube — a container
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rush — to hurry

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