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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: pop · swing · rest · snap · current · club · kid · tube

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pop — music
  7. club — for dancing
  8. kid — child
  9. swing — to play on
  10. current — electric
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — music
  13. rest — a break
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. current — happening now
  17. tube — a container
  18. club — a group
  19. kid — to tease
  20. snap — to click
  21. club — for golf
  22. current — of water
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rest — what's left

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