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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. current — of water
  3. club — a group
  4. face — to confront
  5. branch — a division
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — in biology
  8. dip — to sink
  9. club — for golf
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cell — a phone
  12. face — part of the head
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. face — to point toward
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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