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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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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: saw · swing · pit · current · club · key · stem · race

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. club — for dancing
  5. swing — in golf
  6. current — electric
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. current — happening now
  12. key — for a lock
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. key — the most important part
  16. club — for golf
  17. pit — in a race
  18. club — a group
  19. swing — music
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stem — to come from
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — of water
  24. key — in 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