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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. 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. current — electric
  2. club — a group
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. current — of water
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mate — a partner
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. club — for golf
  12. kid — to tease
  13. club — for dancing
  14. kid — child
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. 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