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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bass — low music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. march — music
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. face — to confront
  8. march — the month
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. current — electric
  12. club — for dancing
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bound — obliged
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bound — certain
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. march — the month
  20. bass — the fish
  21. club — a group
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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