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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — the earth
  7. club — for golf
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. capital — money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. current — of water
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ground — crushed
  17. capital — a city
  18. current — happening now
  19. court — for sport
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — a position
  22. mug — a face
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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