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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bore — to drill
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. club — for golf
  9. current — electric
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. snap — to click
  20. club — for dancing
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — low music
  24. rock — a stone

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