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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bear — the animal
  4. land — a country
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. current — of water
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. season — of the year
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. land — to come down
  18. current — electric
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hand — help
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. pound — a weight
  24. land — ground

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