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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mug — a cup
  8. current — happening now
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. current — of water
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. current — electric
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. club — for golf
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bark — to shout
  23. club — a group
  24. mug — a face

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