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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. club — for golf
  3. current — electric
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. club — for dancing
  6. drill — army training
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. sharp — clever
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. current — happening now
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. current — of water
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — a practice
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — to shout
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. club — a group
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bowl — a dish

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