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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a dance
  4. club — for golf
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. object — an aim
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. season — of the year
  11. pass — a permit
  12. current — of water
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. season — in sport
  17. club — for dancing
  18. object — a thing
  19. current — happening now
  20. object — to protest
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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