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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a song
  6. current — happening now
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. club — for golf
  9. track — a path
  10. club — a group
  11. field — farmland
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — to keep track
  17. field — for sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. field — a subject
  23. date — the fruit
  24. current — electric

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