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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — of water
  3. suit — clothes
  4. club — for golf
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. current — electric
  10. suit — to fit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. current — happening now
  13. squash — to crush
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lean — thin

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