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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. object — an aim
  19. band — a music group
  20. club — a group
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — the fish
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — completely

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