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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. net — after costs
  3. kid — child
  4. net — in sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rash — hasty
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. net — for catching
  10. current — of water
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kick — in football
  13. kid — to tease
  14. current — electric
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. current — happening now
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rash — a series

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