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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stand — to bear
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — happening now
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mine — for digging
  17. current — of water
  18. club — a group
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. club — for golf

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