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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mug — a face
  7. stock — shares
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mug — a cup
  10. club — a group
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. club — for golf
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mug — to rob
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — the animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. stock — goods

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