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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. current — happening now
  3. club — a group
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rest — a break
  6. track — a song
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. current — of water
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — part of the head
  14. track — to keep track
  15. current — electric
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — for golf
  20. track — a path
  21. face — to confront
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. face — to point toward

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