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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. club — for golf
  3. rash — hasty
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. club — for dancing
  11. shower — rain
  12. ground — a position
  13. pound — a weight
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. object — a thing
  16. rash — a series
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. object — to protest
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. object — an aim
  22. club — a group
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. current — electric

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