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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. club — for golf
  7. bulb — for light
  8. race — the arms race
  9. spring — of water
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spring — the season
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rock — a stone
  18. club — a group
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. current — electric
  21. race — humankind
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. race — a contest

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