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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. tube — the underground
  7. club — for golf
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. firm — steady
  10. chest — of your body
  11. court — of a king
  12. club — for dancing
  13. firm — a company
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — of water
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chest — a box
  20. court — of law
  21. firm — decided
  22. tube — a container
  23. club — a group
  24. court — for sport

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