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

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. club — a group
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. current — of water
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — happening now
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. land — ground
  18. club — for golf
  19. current — electric
  20. club — for dancing
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — a country
  23. pound — a weight
  24. leaves — to go away

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