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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. game — a match
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — a gift
  7. dip — to sink
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. present — the time now
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. current — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — wild animals
  18. current — electric
  19. present — there
  20. perch — the fish
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — a sauce

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